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The African Secretariat of the International Human Rights Art Movement(IHRAM) has announced the winners for the 2025 African Human Rights Poetry Competition.

With a total of 350 entries from 25 African countries, reflecting young poets’ perceptions about culture, heritage, human experiences, and unending social issues threatening humanity, the organisation’s mission remains relevant, using art in promoting human rights awareness across the globe.

The selection process was meticulously done by a panel of distinguished judges, which comprises Thomas Block, Khalid Imam, and Nkwetatang Sampson Nguekie, including other members of the team, at the organisation’s international headquarters in New York.

After a rigorous evaluation of entries, Ayisat Yahkub (Nigeria) emerged the winner with her poem, ‘Come, I Swear We’ll Laugh So Hard Again And Run Along All The Rivers’, Khairat Abdulrazzaq(Nigeria), with her poem, ‘Before’, emerged the second prize while Awountsa Tsafac Umel (Cameroon) won the third prize with his poem, ‘Africa, Rise With Light’.

Alongside the three winners, five honorable mentions were recognised and awarded certificates of participation for their exceptional entries. They are:

• Doreen Mwenda for ‘Beneath The Universe’
• Sheriff Olanrewaju for ‘The Innocent’ 
• Chioma Muogbo for ‘I am Human Too’ 
• Tanimu Abdullahi for ‘Justice’ 
• Chukwuajah Emmanuel for ‘The Black Man’s Saga’

Congratulations on your big win, Ayisat Yahkub, Khairat Abdulrazzaq, and Awountsa Tsafac Umel. Kudos!

Sarah Adeyemo

Sarah Adeyemo is a poet, writer, editor, and spoken word artiste from Nigeria. She is a fellow of the SprinNG Writing Fellowship. Sarah has work published or forthcoming work in ANMLY Lit, D’Iit Review, The Fiery Scribe Review, Con-Scio Magazine, Sevhage Review, Okiti Literary, Synchronized Chaos Magazine, Pepper Coast Magazine, The Weeds Review, Akpata Magazine, The Shallow Tales Review, The Muse Journal, The Weganda Review, Everscribe Magazine, Afrillhill Press, TV-63 Magazine, Poems for Persons Interest, Northern Writers Forum Journal, Eboquills, Rinna Lit. Anthologies, and elsewhere. Her works have been shortlisted for the 2025 Labari Prize for Poetry and longlisted for the 2025 Eriata Oribhabor Poetry Prize. She serves as the Managing Editor at Words-Empire Magazine, a Poetry Editor at Yarnz Magazine, PFPOI, and a News & Feature writer at the Journal of African Youth Literature (JAY Lit). She was a writing resident of the Rongo Artist Residency in 2026 and is currently a writing resident at the Ebedi International Writers Residency. She is a member of The Swan Collective. A dramatic poet who tweets @sarahinkspires.